Russia threatens to nuke poland

[Sqrl]

stof said:
because it's all the same arms race. If other nations build similar shields (not that many other nations would spend 10's if not hundreds of billions on something that doesn't seem to work yet), then it would eliminate the United State's ability to launch nuclear weapons at those targets, and the U.S. would engage in a counter measure. This is as much about the United States ability to use such weapons if it felt the need (and that is a big if) than it is about defending themselves against another nation.

And besides, almost the only scenario in which another country would launch a nuclear missile at the United States was if that nation felt it's own survival hinged upon it. The United States is not above invading other countries. If it found a way to bypass some nation's defence of nuclear arms, what's to assure those nations that the United States would not invade them? For some countries, the ability to fire nukes and have them land is seen as largely a defensive maneuver.

Nobody is saying its a separate arms race, we are saying that certain stopping points are preferable to others.  A defensive balance with a MAN ideology as the deterrent is preferable to having the MAD ideology as a deterrent. I assume you agree with that much?

If that is the case then we should move towards that position.  Once the world reaches that point anyone(even the US) who develops countermeasures would be escalating the arms race. 

I understand that you are arguing the point that its all the same and that each development is no better or worse than any other. But if you agree with the first paragraph (and I really hope you do) then you recognize that it isn't all the same.